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I’m back again this month with a new 4 x 4: four designers using the same four products! This month we used the following products from Sassafras Lass, Echo Park, and Maya Road:

The 4 x 4 Rules: - We must use the same four products: two papers and two embellishments. - We can only use one of each sheet of paper. - We can use unlimited basics (card stock, ribbon, alphas, mists, etc.) as long as the four main products are the focus. - We cannot share our finished pages with each other until we are all done so that we do not influence each others’ design choices.

And here is my page using these products:

I used the more warm, neutral side of the Sass paper as a base and framed the page with watered down white paint, drops of gold mist, and stitching. I decided to leave the woman off of the cameo to better fit my boy page. Instead I covered the chipboard with paper and stickers and then added a layer of dimensional Glossy Accents.

I chose pops of black to accent this page, including the title and the wrapped embroidery floss at the bottom. I love this mix of summer colors!

This page is also a part of the latest "Make a Splash" theme challenge over at Paper Issues! Y'all should come on over to play!

Meg Aaron is hosting the challenge and prize this month and you are definitely going to want to visit her blog to get all the details and to see the other layouts created with this month’s products! And don’t forget to visit the blogs of this month’s other two participants: Christina Colón and Rachel Theall!

I had some fun this month creating with Bella Blvd.’s Mr. Boy collection for Right at Home. This collection is full of primary colors and some awesome grays that are prefect for kid photos, especially boy ones!

Days Like This

This layout was a little out of the box for this line but I really love the yellow and gray color combo right now and thought it went well with this black and white photo.

I used my sew easy tool to create the rain with embroidery floss.

Check out what I had to say about Mr. Boy and the rest of my work with it on the Right at Home blog!

Head on over to the Scrap That Baby blog to check out my tutorial to create this origami box made from scrapbook paper. It is the perfect size for little trinkets or a gift card and the best part is that you don’t even have to wrap the present when you’re done!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Father’s Day weekend! We were happy to have a gorgeous, sunny two days here in New England. Hopefully all the dads out there got some extra special treatment and hugs today!

I made this card for my husband… all dads need to know they are #1! Little O gave daddy a few small gifts today and continued the tradition of giving “daddy books” so they can read together. I had scheduled Ryan a massage for some relaxation time on Saturday but the Bruins victory parade was at the same time so we will have to reschedule that! Somehow I don’t think Ryan was crying over having to go to a victory parade…

I used an older Pink Paislee line on this, a Maya Road craft doily, baker’s twine, and doubled up on the twill ribbon for the medallion.

But it is a DAD’S weekend! And that mean’s Father’s Day cards, right!? Well I had to send one in the mail to my dad (and Owen’s grandpa) so it had to be done a little earlier. My dad is a true guy’s guy in the sense that he loves machines, tractors, and building stuff. And he is very good at it! He has fully confessed that he loves getting gift cards to home improvement stores where he can act like a kid in a candy shop. So what better for him than a tool belt gift card holder?

I sort of just winged it on the tool belt part. I made the center pocket larger so it would hold the gift card. The wrench and hammer were cut on my Cricut with free .svg files I googled and altered in Sure Cuts a Lot.

Here is a closer look at the tools. I love the tape measure because it really opens! I used measuring tape printed twill ribbon on cardstock and fastened the lengths with brads so they were jointed.

This card was not in my usual style but I had a lot of fun making it! How are you celebrating all the dads or important guys in your life this weekend? Are your cards done yet??

Now that the little guy is down to one nap we have a large span of time in the morning to go out… which means more time to hit the yard sales on weekends! We used to go out with Owen in tow and only have a small window before nap time to work our sale mojo but now we have WAY more time to get in trouble!

This weekend’s major score was a gorgeous white decorative framed mirror. This thing is BIG and would look awesome over the fireplace. I just need to figure out how to secure it extra well. And it was only $20! Photos to come when I figure out exactly where it is going.

I also picked up this vintage wine crate from some guy who was selling some OLD stuff out of his garage. Old tools, soda crates, and toys. Most of his prices were insane but I scored this wood “Napa Valley” crate for only $5. I didn’t really know what I would do with it but it didn’t take long for me to figure it out! My ribbons have been *out of control* lately. Sooooo… I recarded (and recarded, and recarded) them and NO more tangled mess! Voila!

My ribbons used to hang, then I moved them to jars, then carded but in one big bin, and now this… which I LOVE. So how are you storing YOUR ribbon these days?

I normally don’t like to call my friends “cheap” but I like to keep it real around here. And Tom was cheap! $5 cheap at a local yard sale. Some might see his rusty, dented exterior and not give him a second glance. But I LIKE old things. I think there is beauty in Tom’s imperfections! So Tom came home to live in my scrap room.

I also got a TON of hand crocheted trim and doilies at the same sale. I have a little project coming up for some of those gorgeous items.

Have you found any good thrift store or yard sale treasures lately?? I love to hear a good “trash to treasure” story!

I thought it was time for a fresh look here at The Examined Life! I am currently obsessed with the gray and yellow color combination so the blog reflects that for now. I love how fresh, clean, and cheerful it is!

And even MORE exciting (I know, what could be more exciting than a blog makeover!?) is that I am joining the Design Team for May Arts as a Cameo Ribbonista! That means that every other month I will be bringing some ribbon fabulousness to you. Well, at least I aspire to fabulousness!

Check out a sneak peek at some of the new ribbons that will debut at CHA Summer… these crochet ones are my favorite!

Apparently I find the need to make challenges for myself that don’t need to be there. Because when I got my latest box of goodies from Right at Home Scrapbooking I saw the fabulous pinks of Cosmo Cricket’s Upcycle and decided to create a boy page with them. Jinkies! What was I thinking??

Well, I was thinking my boy looked stinking adorable in his pink bow tie and I needed to immortalize his dapper-ness (go with me here) on a layout!